Q - Regarding Tarpanas etc

[Guest guest]

This ignorant respondent would like to offer his comments on these questions

Please forgive if some points are incorrect.

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In our dharmas and as told by our forefathers, we perform certain rituals after

the death of a person,( may be his father/mother). It is generally believed

that soul leaves the body after his death. His next life will be the outcome his

karmas etc. Or he/she may attain salvation.

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How does that concern you? Your job is to give thanks. Period. Do not question

the laws of Dharma. Certain things, especially in matters of Dharma and Vedic

strictures no amount of rationalising will help. Forgive if my words are harsh.

 

 

> By then, the departed soul may be in another being.

 

You are right. But remember that that new born human was earlier at some point

your source i.e. the reason for your coming into being. Extending this logic it

is clear that the same soul must have been the source for many others before and

will also be the source for many in future. Therefore, the form changes, but

the substance i.e. immoratility of the soul to broadly generalise remains.

This reinforces the Vedic trusim

 

The other aspect is that the moment you are born Dharma enjoins you on the

duties. On the one hand you inherit the karmas (good or bad) from past and on

the other hand you are supposed to use your faculties, will, capacities,

thinking power, intellect, knowledge, trigunas, strength,power, attitude, habits

etc. and go on discharging your job to the best possible extent without any wish

for reward or fear of punishment - with absolute indifference or para vairagya.

 

Note that by performing these deeds apart from working out your own Karma and

salvation you are also helping the departed soul by reducing its own burden. As

each and even the smallest deed, thought, feeling, act unleashes its own

chain of karma, the burden each soul carries is huge. Bit by bit the burden

has to be unloaded over numerous births and rebirths. Your deed in performing

the Pitru works will act as a catalyst to that soul. Which being a good deed

will automatically accrue as a credit to your own burden and thereby indirectly

lighten the burden to your progeny/future generations.

 

By performing tarpana and other pitru works you are conforming to the dictates

of Dharma, which cannot be questioned or rationalised. At the same time if you

look at it purely from an 'appropriatness' point of view, what do you do when

someone wishes you a good morning or say happy birthday ? you thank him. Almost

every religion has thanksgiving in some for or the other. In Christianity it is

called "thanksgiving" and is dedicated to the Lord and in our

culture we have the "pariseshanam" which is a thanksgiving for the various vayus

comprising the universe and matter. In the same manner would you not be thankful

that you have been born without flaw, without problems, are able to read/write,

enjoy the fruits of this earth, speak, have a job etc.etc.? All this is not

possible without THAT soul (Pitru) existing in the first place. So you give a

Maha thanks to all and everything. It is a repeatation but an necessary one at

that.

 

The mega thanks overshadows all other thanksgiving because you are doing it

after the person is no more. The most common and immediate result of any

separation -physical, mental or otherwise in any manner - is both parties tend

to have less and less of interaction until everything is forgotten and ignored

totally. You are in a job for 35 years, after retirement you move to your

native village and settle down. Do you know the state of affairs of your best

friend in office. You may have been best buddies for 35 years. Both may have had

eaten from the same plate, married the same day, may have enjoyed and suffered

and supported each other when you were colleagues. Both may have travelled by

the same train for 35 years, may know about each others habits, charecters etc

intimately. May be very close family friends, but what happens after you retire

to this remote village. The local,domestic, immediate routines, your own health,

new problems, new issues etc. take over and you are caught in this circle. By

and by contact is totally lost. No one has the time and energy. Ultimately say

at 90, do you remember your buddy?

 

No, you just are indifferent. You recollect in moments. You are not really

concerned/bothered. Other pressing matters have taken over your mind. However,

if the same buddy also happens to be your neighbour till the end then the

relationship continues, deepens over the years.

 

The principle here is "out of sight is out of mind". It is not a vague idle

proverb. By the same logic who has the time to remember my great great

grandfather's grandfather?. He may have been a big king, a saint. I have no

clue, nor inclination, nor time and energy. But this does not remove the fact

that they all have been instrumental in my birth.

 

I am therefore thanking all such bygone generations across. Each might have or

might continue to be a soul somewhere. Each with its own lot of burdens.

Whether it is helped or not is not known. Who knows who is bothered? In these

situations, your single act of offering tarpana becomes the highest form of

devoution.

 

Sandhyavandanam and Pitru works are to be done Nityam. Always. No excuse, no

exception. Only when prana stops, note not death. Only when prana stops may

this come to an end. Even if you are thoroughly bed ridden or in coma if someone

else does Sandhyavandanam on your behalf it is a must. I am not sure about this

for Pitru works, but will check and let you know.

 

 

>If so, how the Pinda Pradanams and Tarpanas reach the soul you intended to pay

respects?

The Greatest Mahapurusha, H H Shri Chadrashekara Saraswati Sankarcharya of

Kanchipuram has given a simple response to your query in his "Daivatin Kural". I

give the gist: A son wants his father to send his college fees. The father

sends it by money order. The money does not fly, or is not put in a cover and

posted. Rather the money is lodged in the local post office and they in turn

inform by cable, or telegram or some communication means to the addressee post

office who encode the message and from their till pay the son at his hostel.

 

In the end, the son gets the fees, though the father has not directly sent. The

writer's own points: Pinda pradanam and offerings in tarpana are consumed by

numerous creatures, most of which cannot be even seen by the naked eye. Keep the

pinda for long and you will find yiest/bacteria etc.forming. Ants, small insects

etc. may partake small pieces. Not only crows but many creatures take part.

The crow is big and easily visible. One of these creatures may be the pitru.

By eating it feels satisfied that someone in this whole big world is caring for

it and there is forgive an forget happening all the time. Blessings take place.

0.0001% of the soul's burden is eliminated. It does not desire anything more

except perhaps ultimate liberation. By its blessings you flourish, get good

means and materials and you keep on giving thanks in a sincere way. You

flourish, the soul's burden gets reduced.

 

 

>> By performing the pujas at some sacred places, can the regular annual

"abdikams" be discontinued?

 

No Sir, Please please. Sandhyavandanam and Pitru works are to be done Nityam.

Always. No excuse,No discontinuation no exception. Only when prana stops, note

not death,but prana Only when prana stops may this come to an end. Even if you

are thoroughly bed ridden or in coma if someone else does Sandhyavandanam on

your behalf it is a must. I am not sure about this for Pitru works,but will

check and let you know.

[Guest guest]

Namo Narayana,

 

I read the post on Pitru tarpanam. I very much agree that one should not avoid

this and it is a must. However, I have one query. The sons perform tarpanam.

What about father/mother of daughters? As far as our shastras are concerned for

a Mumukshu there is no worry and we fully believe in HIM . However, is there a

different treatment to parents of daughters(no sons)? There is a provision of

'Atma Pindam' some sort of pindam that can be offered for self in Gaya. What is

the significance. Can someone elaborate and clarify?

 

Ramanuja dasi,

[Guest guest]

Jai Srimannarayana

 

Regarding the query on 'Tarpanams' our Acharyas clarify that the benefits of

Tarpanam reaches the targeted soul whereever it is appropriately, that is

either by (i) elevating the soul to higher lokas (ii) fitting benefits in this

loka itself if the soul is back (iii) back to the doer's (heirs) benefit if

the soul already attained Moksham and does'nt require any more. It is like a

money order which when sent, the postal department is responsible to see it

reaches the target even if address is changed. But if the addressee is

untraceable it comes back to the sender naturally.

 

But above all it is the responsibility of any individual to offer 'tarpanam' as

a gratitude to his parent to clear oneself of the 'runam' called 'pitru

runam'

 

Jai Srimannarayana

Dr.Kilambi Ramakrishna Ramanuja Dasan